President Obama Responds To George Zimmerman’s Not-Guilty Verdict

In the wake of George Zimmerman’s not-guilty verdict, President Obama is asking all citizens to have a “calm reflection.”

“I know those passions may be running even higher. But we are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken,” he said in a White House statement today. “I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son.”

Obama, who once said, “If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon,” described the death of 17-year-old Martin as a tragedy.

“The death of Trayvon Martin was a tragedy. Not just for his family, or for any one community, but for America,” he said. “I know this case has elicited strong passions.”

The Commander in Chief took this opportunity to reiterate his call for gun safety legislation.

“We should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to widen the circle of compassion and understanding in our own communities,” he said. “We should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis. We should ask ourselves, as individuals and as a society, how we can prevent future tragedies like this.”

He added, “As citizens, that’s a job for all of us. That’s the way to honor Trayvon Martin.”